There are many self-help books out there and many
books that contain spiritual outlooks, guidance, and guidelines, and yet, they tend to have a specific agenda. This is why in many cases and situations, people
grow wary and suspicious and move and turn away from organized religion as it
seems to be a carnival or a fair of toothpaste vendors vying and competing with each other on how and why their brand is the better, superior, and the best for your teeth, i.e.
soul.
Their feelings and experiences may or may not be in
earnest, they may or may not have an authentic connection to spirituality, and
yet, we always feel or find it hard and challenging to shake off the feeling
that we are being sold something or, even worse, that we are being tricked and conned
in one way or another. This feeling is much stronger nowadays where state and
religion are not as distinct and segregated as it used to be and where the
realms of politics and government have been intentionally and heavily
politicized for different reasons and purposes.
And it is rare to find a book that talks plainly and
openly about God and does not feel dogmatic and does not try to sell you
something or to convert you to their side. In fact, when reading Moshe Gersht’s
outstanding book It’s all the Same to me: A Torah Guide to Inner Peace and Love of Life, I felt like entering a holy space of profound understanding and
living. The space did not feel unfamiliar to me; it resonates with me, and I
can vouch for its truth, honesty, and integrity, and yet, although our
destination is the same, my path has been a very different one.
As the book shows and tells us, there is a point at
which all things converge and where spirituality emerges in one and the same
flowing river. Moshe uses the wisdom of the Torah and brings out and crystalizes its
light and holiness, whereas my path is a bit more eclectic consisting of an odd,
personalized mix and hybrid of religion, philosophy, and psychology, and yet,
the end result and experience are one and the same and ring as true as gold.
But what is spirituality if not one common state and experience that deep inside we all share and agree with? We may not know what it is and perhaps not even agree why it is, but we all know on a deep intuitive level how it is: It is one of those things where we say to ourselves, I know when I see it, and I do see it and recognize it in this wonderful little book.
Moreover,
I respect the author’s eclectic experiences and path: It is written by an
ex-member of a punk band who decided to first wet his toes and then fully
immerse himself in a spiritual bath of some sorts by studying closely and then
living and practicing intimately the Torah, Kabbalah, Chassidus, and
Spirituality in the quest for Divine inspiration and clarity.
It is part and parcel of a collective unconscious or consciousness that brings to light our essence and true self in all its glory, brightness, and shining colors. This also comes with profound joy, a joy that is not based on ephemeral things that do not matter in the grand scheme of things but that is rooted in the innocent, profound, and knowing smile and laughter of a child.
It is the infinite light that shines through all and
everything and that reminds us that despite our differences, we are all
connected and the same. Different and yet the same was a mantra I remember from
Buddhist teachings, and it is chiseled and filtered out brilliantly and diligently
in this book.
The eternal truth flowing through all of existence cannot be owned and possessed, nor modified nor changed, but it is as it is; it is indeed patiently and lovingly waiting for you to recognize it and to connect to it regardless of your religious and cultural background or experience of life.
It is the ultimate reality that is beyond physical, mental, and emotional
reality. It is a life lived to the fullest that is devoid of negative beliefs
and frames of mind. It is a spiritual mindset shaped within the oneness and
stillness of God’s/Buddha’s mind.
Enlightenment is the state of light and
weightlessness. You lighten the load by becoming empty, the way Meister Eckhart
speaks of the empty vessel to be filled with the loving essence and nature of
God. Enlightenment is two-fold, the divine spark il-luminating itself to vivid
and vibrant light, and it is, at the same time, becoming light in terms of
weight, so you can float three inches above the ground in everything you say or
do, including seemingly mundane activities like doing the dishes or brushing
your teeth. This epiphany will lead to inner peace, lasting
joy, and endless and boundless love.
In this peace and understanding, you will not trick or
delude yourself but rather see and accept the world as it is; you will be able to
express, in Moshe’s words, “conviction without anger, strength without
negativity, and confidence without arrogance”. It is also a life lived and
experienced and transformed by ideas that emanate from a divine source,
pointing and reaching toward a truth that is beyond reason and an essence that
is beyond one’s limited ego.
It may start with the question of why but must look
beyond the answers that are provided by dramatic narratives; those ego-infected
stories accentuate pain and suffering, while the negative energy associated
with them will drive us further away from the wells of happiness already
contained deep within us. According to Moshe, the answer is based on the here
and now and begins with Hishtavus - close kin and ally to the Tao - a state
of nonjudgmental awareness in which we accept reality as it is without labeling
it as something or other.
It is a conscious alignment with a higher order of the
universe that is based on harmony in accordance with all life and all sentient
beings, a life that is “God in action” aligned and connected with living in the
presence of God: It is Ekyeh Asher Ekyeh, which stands for “I am that I
am” or “I will be Who I will be”. Our mind and our senses can only see,
perceive, and conceive of a fraction of life and truth, but an inner knowing
can guide us in the direction of this unspoken and unseen truth.
Hishtavus comes with allowing ourselves as well as
things to be and unfold as they will and do and surrendering not by giving up but by letting go of expectations of how you think things should and ought
to be. This does not mean repressing oneself or one’s emotions, and it
certainly is not a form of denial. As Moshe observes, emotions are real, but
they are not reality itself. In fact, they often lead to the distortion of
reality.
By not putting artificial labels on our experiences,
by resisting that ingrained habit and temptation, we can become free of them.
Hence, they cannot influence and sway us into negativity or into negative and repetitive
patterns of thoughts and behavior. In other words, this can be best expressed
and defined in the words of Judith Orloff as emotional freedom.
It comes with an attitude, an affirmation, and a profound piece of wisdom, an inner yes. It is an all-pervasive and all-inclusive attitude of nonattachment and nonresistance to the ever-flowing flow of life. It is a deliberate and willful choice and one that values peace and acceptance over denial and resistance.
By seeing and processing life’s events through and
with a different lens, you can gain a perspective that is devoid of anger,
resentment, and negative energy. Instead of cursing your life or luck, you can
see and transform life’s difficulties into a challenge, an opportunity for
growth and understanding - and for empathy.
As Moshe astutely observes, this will lead you to not
only feel better about yourself and the whole situation, but it will also help
you to make better decisions, which will have repercussions not only for
yourself but for everyone else within your circle. Your anger and anxiety would
diminish or even vanish completely, and you will not see problems but rather
situations.
A problem is simply something that did not go
according to plan, or rather, your perception of how things ought to be or
should have been. A problem can be something you do not wish to happen, or you feel
anxious that it may be potentially happening in the future. Yet in a spiritual mindset,
you do not see failure as limiting and debilitating, rather you see it as
empowering; you take advantage of the chance and opportunity that come with
it by harnessing and channeling its potential towards greater success.
But it is more than a mindset as it is based on higher consciousness. For instance, Moshe’s personal experiences of being a
lead singer in a rock/pop-punk band eventually ended up paving the way toward a
spiritual path that would bring him peace and joy in his life. It was a
steppingstone that led him and moved him forward in aiming and reaching for his
spiritual potential. Life, he claims, is not happening to you, but it is
happening for you.
There is no escape here; it is built on full
acceptance of the pain and suffering that comes with it. We must not evade or
run away from our feelings but fully experience them. It is being mindful of
everything that comes our way, including our emotional and physical pain. And
yet, this stance, attitude, and willingness will help us deeply embrace and
love all of life.
The voice of the ego, the Yetzer Hara, the creative
force that is undeveloped and immature, is the false and deluding sense of
self, and it is the disconnect between us, life, reality, and God. By freeing
oneself from this limiting and limited view of oneself, one can gain
independence, freedom as well as peace and joy.
Here is where Buddhism and the Torah intersect again:
the Buddhist saying of “If you see the Buddha, kill him” is mirrored and
reflected in the Torah’s “What should a person do if they want to live? Kill
yourself.” It is the conscious decision of not desperately holding onto a drop
when there is an endless ocean all around you embedded within the richness of the
sea of life.
It is pure humility and living sameness; it is all the
same once you can look past the narrow limits set by the ego’s attachment of
wanting more, needing to be always right, complaining, always being on the run
and rarely pausing to engage in rewarding and energizing wu-wei, the Taoist act
of non-doing.
There is much more to cover and explore in this book,
but instead, I shall provide two alternate ways of dealing with one common
issue and problem: traffic. Let us assume that you have an important meeting
coming up and that you have planned everything in advance and have given
yourself ample time and legroom to make it on time.
You even got up an hour earlier than usual and are
confident that nothing can get into your way now. And yet, there was a car
accident that brought traffic to a complete standstill, and you will be at
least half an hour late for this important and essential meeting of yours.
Scenario 1: The (more common) Angry Route
You curse your luck. Why does it always have to happen
to you and why does it happen on the day where you have an important meeting!
It seems that the universe has conspired against you. Now you must face your
controlling boss and all your co-workers, and they will think that you are an
irresponsible and unprofessional person.
As you are inching forward at a snail’s pace, you
swear left and right at all the cars and drivers around you. You arrive at work
and walk into the office complaining about the traffic. The meeting goes
badly, and you snap at everyone around you and want to give your boss the
finger.
Then you go home, and you are so angry and upset that you do not
play with your son; you have dinner and only complain about your crappy day.
You also get into a fight with your wife while you are at it, and it is all
about trifles that did not matter yesterday and will not matter tomorrow. You
cannot fall asleep and are worried about the next day.
Scenario 2: The Hashtivus Way (or the less traveled
path of least resistance)
You tried but nobody is perfect. There is a traffic
jam. Now you can listen to the Arash’s World podcast you were always curious
about. As you are inching your way ahead, you note all the angry faces and all
the instances of road rage.
You arrive and the first thing you do is apologize for
being late. You thank everyone for being patient with you, and with a smile,
you give your presentation. In fact, you do a slightly better job because you
were relaxed all the way and you had a bit more time to practice and rehearse
it in the car before arriving. Even your grumpy mean boss cannot help but be
impressed with your stoic demeanor and stamina.
You arrive home and know that there was really nothing
and no reason to worry or feel angry about it. You can do without that extra shroud
of negativity. You listen carefully to what your son has to tell you, and then
you tell your wife at dinner that despite the cards seemingly stacked against you, you
managed to do a relatively impressive job at work. You go to sleep with a smile
anticipating the next day.
***
It is certainly not easy to pick the second route. In
fact, it takes a lot of practice, willpower, and discipline. But it is worth it
because anger and worry will certainly not help you. You know
that nobody is perfect and that there are some things that are simply not in
our control. You know that failure is necessary for growth and that it is “better
to try and fail than fail to try”. Moreover, stress waves will appear, but you
remain a beacon of inner stillness and joyful confidence, the stillness of the
bottom of the ocean that remains unperturbed by the splashing waves above.
The universe is saying to you: “I will be whatever you
want me to be. I’ll treat you how you treat me” because the place upon which
you stand is holy ground. You have a spiritual mindset and tune into the loving
vibration of the universe, and deep in your heart, your emotional epicenter, you
know that cosmos means order. All roads may not lead to Rome but there are
indeed various paths that can lead to the same outcome. Whether you opt for
Hashtivus or the Tao, Zen, Sufism, or Christian mysticism, spiritually speaking,
they are all the same to you.
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